Manchester City Close to Sealing £60M Move for Riyad Mahrez

Manchester City are reportedly closing in on signing Leichester City’s Riyad Mahrez.

According to reports, Leicester are demanding a huge transfer fee of £60m alone, while considerable add-ons will take the move higher still.

Metro sports reports that winger, Patrick Roberts who has spent the last two seasons on loan at Celtic will move the other way in the £60 million deal that will finally see Mahrez become a City player after long being linked with the Premier League champions.

The Algerian was keen on moving to the Etihad in January and submitted a transfer request in a bid to force through a move to City.

Leicester were reluctant to let their star man leave the club midway through the season without landing a replacement and were demanding in excess of £90million to let Mahrez leave. City subsequently stepped away from negotiations, valuing Mahrez at closer to £55m.

Guardiola’s men were flying in the league and after missing out on Alexis Sanchez they saw little benefit in bowing to Leicester’s demands for Mahrez.

However City are reportedly confident of concluding a deal worth around £60m that will see Patrick Roberts move in the opposite direction.

Mahrez’s arrival at the Etihad Stadium will likely see City drop their interest in Chelsea’s Eden Hazard.